Floor-set.



F. NORTON.

FLOOR SET.

APPLICATION FILEDDEO. 1a, 1909.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

FRANK NORTON, 0F SHIRLEY MILLS, MAINE.

' FLOOR-SET.

Application filed December 18, 1909.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK NORTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Shirley Mills, in the county of Piscataquis and State ofMaine, have invented a new and useful Floor-Set; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The invention about to be set forth and claimed belongs to the art ofwood-workers or carpenters, tools or implements, and it particularlypertains to a new and useful floor set, whereby a carpenter orwoodworker may hold various parts, floor boards and the like, closelytogether, until they are securely nailed, or otherwise fastened inposition. This device may be so constructed, that is, on an enlargedscale, whereby heavy loads may be easily moved, as will be hereinafterclearly explained.

'A further object of the invention resides in the provision of anelongated frame, in which a reciprocating plunger may be positioned,which plunger is provided with a floor board engaging member having agroove, to receive the tongue of the floor board.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a lever pivoted by theupwardly extending ears of the frame, and so formed upon its lowerforward end as to engage a slot in the plunger, whereby the plunger maybe moved forward, that is when the frame is held securely in position,in order to pre- 'vent backward movement thereof. When the plunger ismoved forward, in order to hold two adjacent floor boards closelytogether, means are provided to engage the plunger, in order to preventretrogression.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, a particular design ofdevice is adhered to, but the invention is not to be confined to thisspecific design. The device in its actual reduction to practice maynecessitate changes and variations; the right thereto belongs to theapplicant, provided such changes and variations are comprehended by theappended claims.

Further objects and combination of features and elements will behereinafter more clearly set forth and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the new and useful floor set, showingthe same in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Serial No. 533,839.

position, whereby adjacent fioor boards are held closely together. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the plunger, in order to more clearly show the slottherein.

Referring to the annexed illustrations, 1 denotes an elongated metallicframe, having at each end thereof downwardly projecting portions 2 and3, which are provided with apertures 4 and 5, through which the plunger6 extends. This plunger 6 is provided with a plunger head 7 in theforward face of which a groove 8 is formed, which is adapted to receivethe tongue of a floor board, when the plunger head is in close proximityto the said board, whereby the board may be forced closely in contactwith the adjacent floor board. The plunger rod 9 proper is provided witha slot 10, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The rear downwardly projecting portion 2 of the elongated frame is'provided with claws or rearwardly and downwardly extending points 11,which are designed to engage the joist or other object, in order to holdthe frame proper in position, that is, when the plunger is being movedforward.

Projecting upwardly from the upper portion of the elongated frame,adjacent the forward portion thereof, are cars 12, in which a pivot pin18 is j ournaled. Pivotally mounted upon this pivot pin 13 is a lever14;; the portions 15 and 16 of this lever upon each side of the pivotpin thereof, are disposed at an angle to one another. The portion 15 isused as a handle in manipulating the lever; while the portion 16 isslightly tapered, and is designed to engage the slot 10 of the plungerrod proper, in order to move the plunger forward, by a downward andrearward pressure upon the handle.

To hold the plunger in its forwardmost position, whereby adjacent floorboards are held closely together, a hand screw 17 is employed (whichpenetrates the forward downwardly extending portion 3 of the frame),which engages the plunger rod portion.

It will be readily manifest that when it is desired to move heavy orbulky loads, this device may be constructed upon an enlarged scale, sothat the plunger may be imparted greater movement than that employed inthe floor set, by positioning the frame in order to prevent rearwardmovement thereof, and allowing the plunger to contact with the object tobe moved, the object may be forced forward step by step, by themanipulation of the lever. After each forward movement of the object theframe may be brought forward and again secured in position, whereby theoperations are again repeated.

The operation of the floor set may be readily understood, and is asfollows :By placing the frame in position upon the joist and allowingthe claws or spurs, which extend from the rear downwardly extendingportion of the frame, to engage the joist, so as to prevent rearwardmovement of the frame, a floor board may be brought closely in contactwith its adjacent board through the medium of the plunger (the plungerhead of which engages the said fioor board) and the lever, which isimparted a rearward and downward movement, in order to force the plungerforward.

Having thus fully set forth the invention, what is claimed as new anduseful is 1. In a fioor set, a framehaving its ends bent to form guidesand provided with a slot, a plunger rod slidable on the guide ends ofthe frame and provided with a widened end having a transverselyextending groove adapted to engage a board tenon, said rod being furtherprovided with a longitudinally disposed slot, ears secured to oppositesides of the frame adjacent to the slot thereof, a lever pivoted to theears having an end proj ecting through the frame slot to engage the slotof the plunger rod, a prong on the frame adapted to pierce a board, anda screw on the frame adapted to hold the plunger rod vided with awidened end having a transversely extending groove adapted to engage aboard tenon, said rod having a longitudinally disposed slot having itsend walls inclined, said frame having a slot adjacent one end thereofand provided with detachable angular plates arranged on each side of theslot forming ears, a lever pivoted between the ears and provided with aV-shaped end arranged at an angle to the remainder of the lever andadapted to extend into the slot of the plunger rod, said V-shaped endbeing adapted to cooperate with the inclined wall of the slot of the rodand to prevent the plunging rod from rotating, said frame having one ofits downwardly.extending portions provided with prongs to engage ajoist, and a screw threaded in the forward end of the frame adapted toengage the upper face of the rod to hold the plunger rod againstmovement through the apertures, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK NORTON \Vitnesses W. V. SAWTELLE, F. A. FARNI-IAM.

